Suspect in grisly killing of British soldier blows kisses in court

One of the men charged in the grisly daytime street killing of British soldier Lee Rigby made his first court appearance Monday, blowing kisses to supporters en route to the hearing room.

Reuters reported that Michael Adebolajo, 28, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court flanked by three guards, and he asked to be referred to by a Muslim name, Mujahid Abu Hamza. His defense attorney and the chief magistrate both complied, the news agency said.

His entrance into the courtroom was somewhat of a drama. In addition to blowing kisses to a supporter in the public gallery, he also clutched what seemed to be a Quran, Reuters said. He also gave a thumbs up to his defense attorney — and appeared to mouth the words “I love you” to a man in the public gallery, Reuters said.

The drama didn’t end at the courtroom door.

Once inside, Mr. Adebolajo kept interrupting the hearing, asking the judge repeatedly why he had to stand to speak.

“May I respond, may I respond?” he asked numerous times in the five-minute hearing, Reuters said.

He didn’t enter a plea and was remanded in custody for a hearing sometime within the next 48 hours to decide on bail.

About the Author

Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.